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What will you do to prepare for any future lockdown?

281 replies

AwkwardAsAllGetout · 22/04/2020 10:15

I’m assuming that even when this one is eased, we’ll be locked down again at some point in the next year. I’m wondering what I can do to make that easier and avoid the inevitable second round of panic buying. I was well prepared for this one as I’ve been a long time reader of the prepper threads and could see what was coming, so I had plenty of nappies, toiletries, loo roll and groceries long before we needed them. What I hadn’t anticipated was how much I’d long for some decent outside play equipment for the dc, which seems sold out everywhere. I’d thought ahead to my 2 dcs birthdays in April, and had all presents bought and wrapped, and made sure I had enough for their birthday cakes and party teas. Can’t say the same for the two I’ve got coming up in summer! Will you be preparing early for Christmas? What things are you likely to keep in stock now? I totally underestimated how much my dc would eat with us all being at home all day, so while I have plenty of staples like pasta and flour, my teen could eat super noodles for every meal and the amount of biscuits they’ve eaten is unreal. I think I’m going to keep up our local veg delivery as I’ve been really impressed by that. I think the thing I’m struggling with is how to plan to keep them all occupied over a possible winter lockdown, the weather is gorgeous at the minute which has made the whole thing a lot easier.

OP posts:
sunnydaysagain · 22/04/2020 12:18

Move house to somewhere with zero neighbours. Invest in a flour mill

Justajot · 22/04/2020 12:21

I've been toying with getting a treadmill for months, well before everything went crazy. I now wish I had one, so will get one when they become available again.

RufustheLanglovingreindeer · 22/04/2020 12:22

Never once have I not gotten food or anything that I needed during the lockdown

What happened when you self isolated for two weeks?

Or if you didn’t have to, what was your plan for if you did

gamerchick · 22/04/2020 12:23

gamerxhick - are you calling the mathematicians on More or Less eternally dim?

I'm calling the people who don't know the difference between preppers and panic buyers dim yes. You can actually start prepping now. Its 1 extra item to put away each time you shop. Its doable.

AltheaVestr1t · 22/04/2020 12:23

@RufustheLanglovingreindeer if you have a printer, you can buy postage online and print out a prepaid address label. 😊

ohdearmymistake · 22/04/2020 12:26

I wont be worrying about food as the supermarkets will most likely put a limit on things from the start so there will be no more empty shelves.

Hopefully I will get my paint and will have completed the diy tasks that I want to do now.

If it's around autumn/winter then I'll think of indoor things to do.

I need to update tech so that I'm able to do the live fitness classes, I've really missed this, don't like just doing it on my own.
Plus it would be good to face time family.

Try and fit dentist and eye appointments for all of us or any other things that may need checking.

Not to fussed about Christmas things as everyone will be in the same situation.

Giggorata · 22/04/2020 12:27

Prepper here, NOT panic buyer.
I will continue to ensure I have non perishables, multiple sacks of dog food, firewood, matches, water, shotgun cartridges, seeds, compost, lamps, candles, medical supplies, toiletries, phone and iPad chargers, wind up solar radio, etc.
Cars serviced ready for winter, same with boiler, oil delivery, new or repaired stout boots.
Also painting and decoration supplies, new to me books from online sellers, kindle 99p cheapos, craft supplies.
And enough red wine to float a battleship...

RufustheLanglovingreindeer · 22/04/2020 12:28

Thank you althea

Didnt even think of that!

Kazzyhoward · 22/04/2020 12:31

The thing is, if everyone became a prepper, it would actually have the same effect as a few people panic buying

Not at all. Preppers buying the odd extra item every week for several weeks/months, won't put any strain on the supply chain. Panic buyers going out buying an extra trolley full, all at the same time, is what caused the empty shelves. There's a big difference!!

bumblingbovine49 · 22/04/2020 12:34

Get in some sympathy cards. I have sent 3 so far to the families of peoople who have died of COVID and I ended up using blank cards as I only had on 'sympathy' one. Also restock on stamps. I had loads but we have used a lot too.

DobbysPetCat · 22/04/2020 12:35

I will make sure I have a good stack of books to read!

I normally feel guilty if I buy a couple of new books rather than wait until I have finished the one I'm reading but I can't believe how many I've read during this lockdown! Unfortunately I have recently resorted to buying books from the supermarket as the book shops are shut but I would rather give my business to them.

Deelish75 · 22/04/2020 12:36

I believe we’ll have second harder wave in the autumn/early winter which will clash with flu season therefore I do think we’ll go into lockdown again for longer around November time so I will make sure I have plenty of the next size up clothes for my children and clothes for change of season.

HebeMumsnet · 22/04/2020 12:37

Would also add clippers (and maybe a short course in basic hair-cutting) and a very cheap second laptop for the kids. Am already over trying to do homeschooling with just one laptop between them. If anyone knows of a laptop for under a hundred quid that can be dropped from great heights, bashed with chocolatey fists and repels orange squash, do let me know.

foamrolling · 22/04/2020 12:40

I'll be doing absolutely nothing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that we managed without any prepping as such. We had the odd week where we couldn't get pasta or flour so we've just had something else.

Myownwendyhouse · 22/04/2020 12:41

Savings. Save and save

PennyArrowBar · 22/04/2020 12:43

I haven't been at all since shutdown but I'll be going to all the cheaper toiletry and household shops like B&M, Pound shops, Savers, Home Bargains etc. I miss these, even though some are still open I can't face them i case of lack of social distancing.

We're in GM too Dev and I've found all the cheap shops round here to be as diligent and the larger ones for social distancing. Particularly home bargains.

HavartiToSeeYou · 22/04/2020 12:44

I read a long read article about it, and apparently stockpiling accounted for only 3% of the shortages. The vast majority was caused simply by people buying slightly more than usual (talking buying one extra packet of pasta, not 20) which is completely understanding since according to statistics pre-lockdown 40-50% of meals in the UK were eating outside of the home. If your children usually eat lunch at school and maybe use breakfast club, and you and your spouse eat lunch at work or in a cafe, but now you’re all at home, then of course the amount you need to buy will double. That’s not stockpiling, but because the UK operates on the “just in time” system, millions of people needing two packets of pasta when they’d normally buy one causes mass shortages very quickly.

HavartiToSeeYou · 22/04/2020 12:45

Understandable and eaten. Sorry new phone!

Noworrieshere · 22/04/2020 12:49

I'll buy in more stamps and envelopes, the kids have been sending lots of notes to grandparents. Also tins of spaghetti hoops. The only other thing we have struggled to buy is flour. But we don't really have anywhere to store a big bag of flour so there's not much we can do about that. I'll try to have maybe 2 bags extra in stock all the time if I can.o

2tired2bewitty · 22/04/2020 12:51

I think we’ll also review our tech - by September we’ll have three in full time education and it’s just not working now when everything from school is look at this app or watch that video when they share one elderly tablet.

A smart telly would also be useful as currently we can only stream stuff through DH’s laptop.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 22/04/2020 12:52

I won't be doing anything apart from trying to save a bit of extra money in case I get furloughed again.

There's nothing at all that I haven't been able to get since lockdown.

ofwarren · 22/04/2020 12:58

Oh great, a thread that descends into criticism of preppers again....
I haven't bought toilet roll at all in 2020. I always keep a stock in.
I haven't been to the supermarket since February but obviously the shortages are all the fault of us preppers 🙄

GiveMyHeadPeaceffs · 22/04/2020 13:00

I'll keep on shopping as I do now and did before by buying 1 extra of things or buying a multi pack instead of one item. I'll do one big shop a week but I'm going to keep supporting my local producers for things like fruit and veg and I've a brilliant refill shop near me that I didn't know about before.

I'm definitely going to get all my Christmas gifts asap and I'm going to invest in a small chest freezer and have my turkey etc in. I definitely think we'll have a lot more lockdowns before we've a handle on Coronavirus.

Smileyoriley · 22/04/2020 13:01

I'd love to sell my house as I've realised how much I dislike it and some of the neighbours. Haven't run out of anything I've needed so won't bother stockpiling.

PowerslidePanda · 22/04/2020 13:01

Nobody needs to be prepping or panic buying!

Tell that to the people who haven’t been able to leave the house because of compromised immune systems and have nobody to shop for them.

And add to that - those of us who can't buy what we need within the item limits. I have baby twins and suddenly found I was only allowed to buy enough formula and nappies for one baby!

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